There was a time I hated editing. There was a time I thought all the fun was in ferrying my ideas into reality, in writing them on paper for the first time around. I thought the thrill of discovery, and that strange feeling I experienced—of tapping into some mysterious sort of alternate reality—was all I cared about. But then, blunt and irreverent, time barged in as it always does. And much to my chagrin it showed me I was mistaken. In…

It’s essential to have some hobbies and interests to help us restore our vital juices when they’re running low. I love reading and writing. Actually, some books, I’m so glad I’ve read them I consider myself a lucky person. Just for that. But no matter how deep my love for reading and writing is, I could never sit at my desk for hours and hours every single day. And keep on reading and writing. Fact is, after a while I’ve…

Doodle number one. Using the graphic tablet. Hargh! Writing can be incredibly rewarding. Especially when we have just finished, really finished a work, and congratulating ourselves for the feat. Alas, writing can also be a grueling experience. I mean, there are days, at times even weeks, we seem utterly unable to find even the most basic word to convey the ideas floating about in our mind. From this perspective it’s no wonder Kurt Vonnegut said when he wrote he felt…

Money. We all know it can’t buy happiness. But, as Groucho Marx said, “it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.” And that’s something. Or not? In any case, on one thing we can all agree. If someone wants to become filthy rich and do that real fast, writing is not the way to go. Indeed, this should be immediately apparent if we stop a second and think about the time and effort even a single book requires.…